“Yes, father. If Aaron approaches me again, I will certainly let you know. I have no interest in a position as a mistress.”
Ariella nodded obediently, and the time for punishment that Lizzy had eagerly awaited ended rather blandly.
Seeing Ariella walk out unscathed, Lizzy gritted her teeth in frustration, but what could she do? The lord’s decision was final.
Ariella flashed a bright smile, revealing her white teeth to Lizzy. Although Lizzy angrily hurled insults at her, Ariella passed by her leisurely as if she had heard sweet music.
However, her heart was not as relaxed.
‘This is troublesome. There’s still much to be done.’
She had been caught too quickly by the Duke of Bedford. As long as his vigilance was directed at her, she would not have the freedom to act as she had before.
It had become quite bothersome. But if one searches earnestly, a path will emerge.
‘If I can’t move, I’ll have to use someone else.’
If she could thoroughly conceal her identity and make someone else act, she could achieve her desires without the Duke’s notice. It wouldn’t be easy, but it was worth the challenge.
Thus, Ariella decided to identify a target to use under certain conditions.
First, they must be an influential figure. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to inflict proper damage on Bedford or the Bingham imperial family.
Second, they should be moderately foolish and moderately clever. If they were too clever, it would be difficult to manipulate them, and if they were too foolish, their actions would be unpredictable.
And the final third.
‘They must not be innocent.’
This was the last line she drew.
She could not use someone who was completely innocent for her revenge. Even if it was a shortcut to revenge, Ariella was determined not to succumb to temptation and to take the long way around.
Otherwise, she would become a being lower than a beast, just like those she hated.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to think too hard to find someone who fit the bill.
A person who met all three conditions and had just stepped into Ariella’s trap.
Countess Annabelle.
There was no doubt about the influence she wielded as the emperor’s most favored mistress.
Moreover, from what Ariella had experienced, she was clever enough to secretly plot schemes to harm someone, yet foolish enough to be seen through by the target.
Ariella opened her wardrobe, recalling the beautiful curve of Annabelle’s eyes above her ornate fan and the voice that offered her tea.
As she rummaged through a box hidden deep in the wardrobe, a small pouch emerged. Inside the pouch was none other than tea leaves.
The unique aroma wafting gently from the tea leaves. It was the very tea that Countess Annabelle had boasted about, claiming to have brought it from the East.
‘How bold. To attempt to make the crown prince’s fiancée infertile.’
This was Countess Annabelle’s crime.
The tea leaves that the countess had given to Ariella indeed had a very peculiar effect, as the rumors suggested. It had a sterilizing effect on women and a weakening effect on men.
Ariella had naturally grown suspicious of the foolishness of offering her the same tea every time they met, and she had seized the opportunity to secretly steal some of the tea leaves.
After investigating the tea leaves, she was able to discern the countess’s true intentions.
‘She must have thought that in order to eliminate Aaron and place her son on the throne, Aaron must be childless. Since Aaron wouldn’t meet with me, she caught the easy target, me.’
It was truly a malicious thought.
After discreetly consulting a physician, Ariella learned that the exact extent of damage to her uterus was unknown.
She had taken the tea given by Countess Annabelle three times, and although she had noticed something was off once and barely drank it, it was still a vague number that could mean her fertility had been affected.
There was a possibility she might not be able to have children. It was a shocking diagnosis, but Ariella did not feel particularly shocked or disheartened.
‘This might actually be for the best.’
She even thought this way. For her at that time, the idea of one day carrying Aaron’s child was more terrifying than anything else.
The thought of the seed of the man she hated taking root in her womb, or of hating an innocent child, was unbearably repulsive. It would be far better to never be able to conceive at all.
Her thoughts on infertility ended there. Instead of mourning or seeking a cure, Ariella pondered.
Should she expose the truth and bring Countess Annabelle down, or should she remain silent while keeping the evidence?
In the end, she chose the latter, and the reason was simple. Bringing down Countess Annabelle would only benefit Aaron.
